Friend's Magazine Autumn Winter 2017 | Page 10

Charity Overview

The Alnwick Garden is a charity – any surplus from running The Garden is re-invested into improving and developing The Alnwick Garden for the future .
Our vision at The Alnwick Garden is not just about developing the beauty of The Garden but also about developing community spaces to connect people from all walks of life . One of the ways we do this is through our Community and Education Programmes .
The Elderberries Programme Helping Northumberland to address loneliness and be a great place to grow older . Elderberries : Health and Self
Elderberries runs a range of activities for older people , from keeping active sessions of Pilates and a walking group , to tea dances and toenail cutting . It offers monthly clinic café sessions in partnership with the NHS that offer a range of informative talks and ad hoc opportunities for arts and culture sessions including music performances , silk painting sessions and memory sessions .
There is also the Stuart Halbert Elderberries Room sessions are offered three times per week for over 55s to come and relax , chat and enjoy tea and cake and make new friends . This provides a valuable local facility for older people .
Elderberries : Gentlemen ’ s Garden
A group run specifically for men who enjoy gardening and woodwork . The group meets once a week with the aim of reducing isolation , increasing a sense of identity and belonging which gives them opportunities for purposeful learning which improves physical and mental health . The project gives the participants access to an allotment space that they would not otherwise have .
Elderberries : Blooming Well
The Blooming Well Project is a community based initiative run by The Alnwick Garden with the aim of improving the quality of life for people with dementia and their carers using a mixture of targeted therapeutic horticulture and arts activities .
Thank you to The Kavli Trust and The Stuart Halbert Foundation for their generous support for the Elderberries Programme .
For details of the next sessions , please contact Tracy Jones – tracy . jones @ alnwickgarden . com
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